Chapter 245

Chapter 245: Trouble at Linglong Pavilion

Bai Mu Mu kept her soft mask on and said timidly: “Your daughter understands.”

She did not mention how he had not visited her these days, and guilt rose in Shen Dao Chen’s heart.

A disciple called from outside the door: “Sect Master, Ziwei Pavilion has sent a message.”

Shen Dao Chen told her he would step out to check, then came back a moment later. Perhaps because of that flicker of guilt, he did not hide the news.

Ziwei Pavilion was the leading top Auction Pavilion in the Cultivation World, the one with the closest ties to the Flying Cloud Sect, and the main force against Linglong Pavilion. The message concerned the joint treasure hunt at Starfield Plain.

He sighed and said: “Your body is weak. Stay in the sect. I will ask an Elder from the Medicine Hall to look after you.” If Bai Mu Mu had not been ruined, how good that would have been. With only a Qi training level now, she could not even protect herself outside.

[Host is advised to follow Shen Dao Chen to Starfield Plain. This will benefit the host.]

The System’s voice sounded in her mind, but it was not the right time to speak. If she asked now, Shen Dao Chen would only think she was being difficult.

She nodded obediently and said: “Father is doing this for my good. I will obey.”

Pleased, Shen Dao Chen fondly rubbed her hair and said: “Father will come see you again tomorrow.”

After he left, Bai Mu Mu dropped her act. She asked the air in a cold whisper: “For this Treasure-Seeking Meet, Linglong Pavilion is one of the initiating Auction Pavilions, right? And the sect working with Linglong Pavilion is Ninghua Sect?”

She smiled, but it never reached her eyes: “Shen Sang Ruo made me into this. It’s been long enough. Time to take some interest.”

Some time later, Shen Sang Ruo stared at a half-grown boy covered in blood. She had seen him before at Linglong Pavilion. He gasped out the news, and she repeated it in shock as she asked: “What did you say? Linglong Pavilion is in trouble?”

He choked as he answered: “Yes. A man wrapped in killing aura suddenly broke into Linglong Pavilion. He smashed everything and killed everyone he saw. Our Guard Cultivators couldn’t stop him.” Linglong Pavilion’s Guards were at least Late Golden Core, and there was even a Nascent Soul Early Stage expert. The attacker’s strength was terrifying.

The boy’s voice shook: “Uncle Li told me to rush to Ninghua Sect to find you. I fear they can’t hold out much longer.”

Shen Sang Ruo responded at once: “I’ll go with my Senior Brother and Senior Sister immediately.” Realizing there was no time to waste, she found Immortal Lord Chang Li.

With a wave of Immortal Lord Chang Li’s hand, Shen Sang Ruo, four Senior Brothers and Senior Sisters, and the bloody youth vanished and arrived by Teleportation at Linglong Pavilion.

What had once been carved beams and jade inlay, pearls and emerald halls, was now nearly a field of ruins. The air was thick with the stench of blood. Only the word tragic could describe it. For miles around, there was not a single passerby; the scene had scared everyone away.

There were no signs of battle left in motion. The youth, Jian Hao, fell to his knees when he saw the wreckage and cried with a breaking voice: “Uncle Li!”

When he left earlier, Linglong Pavilion had not been like this.

Shen Sang Ruo frowned at the blood in the air and said to her companions: “Save people first.”

Ye Huai and the others nodded and moved at once, stepping into the ruins.

After a thorough search, only three people in the entire Linglong Pavilion were alive, counting Jian Hao. The other two were Li Qing Wen and Linglong Pavilion Master Shang Guan Rong. Shang Guan Rong was gravely injured and unconscious. Li Qing Wen was hurt less badly. Su Xi Yu quickly fed them pills and stabilized them for now.

Shen Sang Ruo walked to Immortal Lord Chang Li and said softly: “Master.”

While the four searched, Immortal Lord Chang Li had spread out his Divine Sense to probe the surroundings. He said after a pause: “He is already gone. Or to be exact, that ‘person’ vanished. Outside this area, there is no trace of him.”

Shen Sang Ruo’s eyes widened. If it were a person, there would always be traces. The one who slaughtered Linglong Pavilion had left none at all. That could only mean the attacker was likely not human.

In the next heartbeat, a name jumped into her mind: Bai Mu Mu. Her voice turned cold as she said: “This is most likely tied to the Malevolent Spirit on Bai Mu Mu.”

“Her again?” Song Wei Yan came over, face dark.

Su Xi Yu tended Shang Guan Rong’s wounds. Ye Huai and Bai Ruo An supported Li Qing Wen over.

Li Qing Wen’s face was lined with pain; despair had hollowed him out. Linglong Pavilion had cost so many people so much effort. In recent years it had finally climbed into the ranks of the top Auction Pavilions. Now it was destroyed in a day. How could it not hurt?

Shen Sang Ruo sighed, offered a few words of comfort, then asked: “Fellow Daoist Li, has Linglong Pavilion made enemies with anyone or any force recently?”

Li Qing Wen answered honestly in a weak voice: “Aside from a bit of harmless friction with Ziwei Pavilion, no one else.” But neither Ziwei Pavilion nor the Flying Cloud Sect would attack so openly.

With no other enemies to point to, Shen Sang Ruo was even more certain this was Bai Mu Mu’s doing.

Li Qing Wen opened his hand. In the blood lay a few strands of black hair. He said: “I tore these from that villain’s head when I had the chance. Maybe they’re a clue.”

Shen Sang Ruo lifted the strands, frowning: “There’s a very faint Devil Qi here. There’s a nine in ten chance this is Bai Mu Mu’s handiwork.” It was just like the Purplegold Serpent in the Secret Realm.

Bai Ruo An shivered and said: “What is that Malevolent Spirit on her, anyway? This is too outrageous.”

Song Wei Yan, who had lived through the era of Heretic Cultivators running wild, still could not help a chill: “Right. She was beaten into half paralysis, dropped to the Qi training stage, and her spiritual root is damaged. Yet she can still cause this much harm. It’s too evil.”

Su Xi Yu’s anger flared: “She was hurt so badly last time and still didn’t learn. It’s barely been any time and she’s back to hurting others. She really thinks we won’t find her?”

Ye Huai’s calm face flashed with cold ruthlessness as he said: “No. She wants us to find her.”

“Senior Brother is right,” Shen Sang Ruo said with a nod. “She left these clues on purpose so we’d suspect her, but without hard proof we can’t touch her. By choosing Linglong Pavilion, she’s provoking us and getting revenge.”

Shen Sang Ruo turned to Li Qing Wen, her gaze full of apology: “In the end, I dragged Linglong Pavilion into this.”

If not for their connection to her, Linglong Pavilion might have avoided this disaster.

Li Qing Wen shook his head with bitter clarity and said: “Working with Fellow Daoist Sang Ruo and Ninghua Sect is Linglong Pavilion’s honor. The villain is just too vicious.” He knew exactly who deserved his hatred.

Treasures and buildings could be rebuilt. But out of hundreds in Linglong Pavilion, only three were left alive. That was hundreds of living lives, all gone.